Authorities need a viral video to work on people’s problems – well, this statement may sound harsh, but this appears to be the exact situation that took place in Gujarat’s Kaprada taluka.
A video from Moti Palsan village in Valsad district’s Kaprada taluka started going viral on social media. In the video, a woman was reportedly seen climbing into a dry well and filling water pots for other women who had lowered their pots into the well using ropes. Another visual from the same video showed a man with a rope tied around his waist climbing into a deep well and, after reaching the bottom, collecting the remaining water that had not yet dried up.
From the moment this video was published on the internet, people started talking about the “Gujarat model,” with various memes and discussions over why such a situation had happened.
As per reports, the village, which is located in Kaprada taluka, has eight wells. During the monsoon season, these wells get filled with water, but during summer the water in the wells dries up, leaving villagers with no option but to fetch water from another village located kilometers away or climb down into the wells to collect water.
Although authorities said that the village also has water pipeline facilities through which residents receive tap water under the State government’s Astol Group Water Supply Scheme. Under this scheme, water is pumped from the Madhuban Dam and supplied through a pipeline network to various villages located in hilly terrain, including Moti Palsan in Kaprada.
Authorities further stated that due to certain reasons, there was a leak in the water supply network, causing disruption in water supply to the village. However, on Thursday evening the water network was repaired, and from Friday onward villagers started receiving water supply again. Officials said villagers are now happy with the restored supply.
However, a villager stated that the village lies in a hilly area and has a population of around 1,000 to 1,200 people. The main occupations of the villagers are farming and animal husbandry. The villagers receive water through taps under the Astol Group Water Supply Scheme.
He further said that the main supply line had been damaged for a long time and despite repeated representations, no action was taken. Finally, one of the villagers recorded a video of a woman entering the well and uploaded it on social media along with the location details. He also said that villagers had been fetching water in the same way for a long period of time. After the video went viral, authorities repaired the damaged pipeline on Thursday evening, and from Friday onward villagers started receiving regular tap water supply again.
Also Read: UGVCL’s Feeder Separation Drive: What It Means for Your Bill in North Gujarat https://www.vibesofindia.com/ugvcls-feeder-separation-drive-what-it-means-for-your-bill-in-north-gujarat/
